Tragic/ Eye medicine blinds 8 people and kills 3 others. Doctors sound the alarm: Do not use artificial tears, they seriously damage...

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending that people immediately stop using EzriCare or Delsam Pharma's artificial tear products because of possible contamination from a resistant strain of bacteria.

Following a recall of EzriCare eye drops last month, the CDC issued an update on March 21 about a multistate outbreak of a drug-resistant strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria that has been associated with eye and other infections.

The CDC and the Federal Drug Administration recommended that people stop using EzriCare and Delsam Pharma's artificial tears after they identified 68 patients in 16 states who were infected with the rare strain of bacteria and reported using artificial tears.

Three people have died, eight have reported vision loss and there have been four reports of surgical removal of the eyeball, the CDC said.

Thirty-seven of the patients were associated with four clusters of health care facilities, and EzriCare artificial tears were the only common artificial tear product identified across those clusters, the CDC said.

The 68 patients reported using more than 10 different brands of artificial tears, with EzriCare artificial tears being the most commonly reported brand, the CDC said. Samples were collected from May 2022 to February 2023.

Patients who are advised to use EzriCare or Delsam Pharma artificial tears by their healthcare provider are urged to find alternative treatment options.

Anyone who has used either product and has symptoms of an eye infection is urged to seek immediate medical attention. There is no recommendation from the CDC for patients who have used the products but are not experiencing any symptoms of infection.

Rastet janë raportuar në shtetet e mëposhtme:
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Florida
Illinois
North Carolina
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
Nevada
Pennsylvania
South Dakota
Texas
Utah
Washington
Wisconsin

Symptoms of an eye infection may include pain or discomfort; red eyes or eyelids; yellow, green, or clear discharge from the eye; increased sensitivity to light; blurred vision and the feeling that something is in your eye.
The CDC warned in February that EzriCare drops had been linked to 55 cases of bacterial infection in 12 states.

Global Pharma Healthcare, the India-based manufacturer of EzriCare Artificial Tears, announced the voluntary recall on February 2.

Drops are distributed by EzriCare and Delsam Pharma. EzriCare said in a statement on February 1 that it "had no role in the formulation, packaging delivery system or actual manufacturing of this product."